Control panel for electric railway switches



D86. 22, 1931. w 5 EPPLEY 1,837,956

CONTROL PANEL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed June 19, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

m 9 WA,

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 22, 1931.

W. S- EPPLEY CONTROL PANEL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed June 19,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Maw-M.

ATTORNEY,

Patented Dec. 22, 1931 WALTER S. EIPLEY, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA CONTROLPANEL FOR, ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCHES Application filed June 19, 1930.Serial No. 462,316,

My invention is directed to improvements in control panels for automaticelectric railway switches. I l

More particularly, my invention is designed for use in that type ofrailway switches which are employed in street railway systems whereinthe motorman, through his control lever, controls the operation of theswitch.

The present invention is especially designed for use in connection witha switchoperating mechanism in which a reversible electric motor and apump actuated by that motor is employed, such for example as isillustrated and described in my pending application for patent filedAugust 20th, 1929, Serial No. 387,215. i

The object of the invention is to provide a very simple andcomparatively cheap control panel structure which is interposed betweenthe trolley wire and the switch-operating motor, butcontrolled throughthecontroller on the vehicle by the motorman, whereby current from thetrolley wire may be directed to either side of the motor through thecontrol panel mechanism to shift the switch-blade, or permit-the latterto remain as positioned as the vehicle approaches the switch. I v

The invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 shows the control panel in front elevation.

Fi 2 illustrates the detached rotary contact in side elevation.

Fig. 3 shows the same in rear elevation,and

Fig. 4 diagrammatically illustrates the panel, the trolley wire, switchand switchactuating mechanism and the wiring between the various parts.

A description of the panel board and its mechanism will first be givenand then. an explanation of its connectionswith the other parts followedby an explanation of the operation.

The mechanisn'is forming the control panel are all mounted on a Hatplate '10, of suitable insulation or composition material, which latteris provided with perforations 11, through which suitable fastenings maybe passed to secure the panel in position.

At the top of the panel, in this instance, I provide a resistance coil12 with an adjustable contact device 13, by means of which more or lessof the resistance may be utilized.

On the plate beneath the resistance coil I mount a bracket 14 whichcarries a solenoid 15, having a vertically movable center stem The upperend of this stem 16 is provided with a weight 17 while the lower end ofsaid stem carries a pawl 18, which latter hangs pendantly with itsoperating end 19 lowermost On thebracket- 14 and adjacent to the freeend of the depending pawl, there is a rotatable head. This head has aratchet-wheel 20 at its outer side and in vertical alinement with thefree end of the pawl so the latter may engage the teeth thereon and asthe pawl makes each downward stroke with the stem 16, it imparts apartial rotation to the ratchetwheel which rotation movement equals thedistance between adjacent teeth on the wheel.

t the inner side of the ratchet-wheel, the head has a series of contactplates 21 and a series of insulation surfaces 22. The plates andinsulations alternate in that the plates are separated byan insulationsurface.

In the presentinstance, the contact plates 21 are formed integrally withthe metal of the ratchet-wheel and have the form of laterallyprojectinghorizontal lugs which project from the vertical side of theratchet-wheel, While the insulation surfaces 22, are all formed from ablock 23 ,of insulating material which has circumferential segmentalcavities 24 to receive thecontact-plates, while the faces be-. tween thesaid cavities form the insulation surfaces 22.

r Adjacent to, but,*in the present instance below the ratchet-wheel Iprovide two contact-blocks 25 and 26 which are adjust-ably secured onrigid posts that project from the control panel plate 12. The block 25.carries a flexible contact plate 27 whose free end presses against therotatable head while the block 26 carries another flexible contact plate28 whose free end also presses against said head.

These contact plates 27 and 28, are so posiand upon the next partialrotation of the head, the plate 27, will engage an insulation surfacewhile the plate 28 will engage a contact plate.

Thus it will be understood that each time the head is given a partialrotation the circuit will be changed so as to include first one plateand then the other and this alternation takes place at each stroke ofthe pawl.

Near the bottom of the control panel plate 10, there is mounted thereonan electro magnet 29 having binding posts 30 and 31. An armature-bar 32,is associated with this magnet Which armature,- in this instance, hasits lower end pivoted and extends upwardly toward the contact blocks 25and 26. The upper end of this armature-bar carries a cross-head or plateof insulating material 33. At each. end of the cross-plate, there is adepending contact finger 34 and 35 and the upper end of finger 34 isconnectedby a flexible wire 36 with the contact-block 25, while the.upper end of the finger 35, is connected by a wire 37 with thecontact-block 26.

It will thus be seen that while the crossplate 33, and the fingers 34and 35 will all swmg as the arniature-bar'32 swings toward or from theelectro-magnet, the connections between the fingers and thecontact-blocks 25 and 26 will be ma'mtained because those connectionsare flexible wires 36 and 37.

Two contact-posts 38 and 39 project from the control-panel plate 10' atopposite sides of the armature-bar 32, and the spacing of these posts 38and 39 .and the contact-fingers 34 and 35 is such that when thearmature-bar is attracted and held by the el-ectro-magnet, said bar willelectrically engage post 38 while at the same time contact-finger 35will engage the other post 39. p I

\Vhen the electro magnet is deenergized however, the armature-bar 32'will swing away from the magnet until it engages post:

39 Whereas at that time the contact-finger 34, will engage post 38. Thuswhen the armature-bar 1s 1n one position, itwill engage one post whileone of the contact fingers will engage the other post, and'when saidbar'is in the other position,-it will engage'the other post while'tlieother contact finger will engage the first-named post.

An overload device 40 is attached to the panel-plate and is interposedin a circuit that will presently be explained.

Most of the electrical connections between the several parts carried bythe panel-board are located in grooves in the back of the board butwhere this occurs the same are shown in broken lines.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the panel-board has aplurality of binding-posts along or adjacent to its lower edge. Theseposts are designated 41, 42, 43, 44, and 46 respectively.

From post 41 there is awire connection 47 that extends to the post 38;while a connection 48, is provided between post 42 and post 39.

A ground connection 49 is provided between post 43 and the ratchet 20while a connection 50 is provided between post 44 and the armature-bar32'.

A fuse 51, has one end connected to the post 45, while from the otherend of said fuse there is a connection 52 leading to one side of theoverload device 40. From the overload device 40, there is a wire 53which connects. with the winding of electro-magnet 15, while a wire 54extends from said electromagnet to resistance device 12.

Another wire 55 connects the adjustable ele- ,ment 13 of the resistancecoil with the end element 56 of said coil and another wire 57 forms aconnection between the end element 56 of the coil and the binding-post46 on the panel. r

- The panel structure above described is located in the switch-operatingcircuits between the trolley-wire 58, trolley-pan, which latter hasplates 59, 60 and 61,, on the one side, and the switch-operating motor62 which has binding-posts 63, 64, 65 and 66. Y

r The switch-operating'motor 62, is preferably designed to actuate afluid-operated mechanism confined in a track-box 67, which mechanism, inturn operates a rod 68 which latter is connected to the track switch-box69.

The motor and fluid-operated mechanism located in the track-box 67 formsthe subject of a pending application for patent filed by meAugust 20th,1929, Serial Number 387,215 and therefore is not duplicated or claimedin this present. application.

By again referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be noted thatthere is a permanentconnection 70 between the trolleywire current supplyand the contact-post 30 of the panel; that there is a connection 71between the plate 59 of the trolley-pan and the post 31 of the panel andthat there is another connection 72 between the plate 61 of thetrolley-pan and the post 45 of the panel.

It will further be noted that a connection 73 extends from post 41 ofthe panel to a post 63 of the motor; that another connection 74 extendsfrom panel post 42 to motor-post 64; that another, connection 7 5'extends from panel post 44 to motonpost 65 and that another connection 76 extends from panel post 46 to motor-post 66.

tion 77.

Operation When a car approaches a switch, the trolley wheel will engagethe sections orplates 59 and 60 of the trolley-pan,which removes thewheel from the trolley wire 58. If at this moment, the controller on thecar is turned on for a couple of notches, current will flow from thetrolley wire 58 by wire 70 to and through the selecting relay 29 andthis relay will be energized, thereby drawing the armature 32 toward therelay and bringing 35 against post 39 to form a circuit through themotor 62 to drive the motor in one direction. If however, the controlleron the car is turned ofi", no current will pass through relay 29 and thearmature 82, will remain removed from the relay so that contacts 34 and38 will be engaged and thus form another circuit through the motor thatwill drive the latter in a reverse direction. The motor 62 therefore isa reversible motor and may be operated in either direction according tothe position of the armature 32 and its contacts 34 and 35.

After passing from the plate 60 of the trolley-pan, the trolley-wheelthen engages the plate 61 as well as plate 59 and this engagement keepsthe trolley-wheel out of engagee ment with the trolley wire. Currentthen pases from the trolley-wire 58 by wire 7 O to and through selectingrelay 29, then by wire 71 to insulated plate 59; then across the trolleywheel to impulse plate 61, then by wire 7 2 to panel contact-post 45,then through fuse 51 and by wire 52 to and through the overload deviceand 'wire- 53 to electro-magnet 15, energizing the latter and drawingweighted armaturestem 16 and pawl 19 up. The current then passes by wire54 to and through the resistance devices 12, 13 and 55 to post 56; thenby wire 57 to panel post 46; then by wire 7 6 to post 66 and serieswindings of the motor 62.

After passing through the windings of the motor to the motorbinding-post 65, the current then passes by wire to panel-board post 44.

Now if the controller on thecar is turned to, power on, the current willthen flow by wire 50 to armature 32, to contact-post 38, then by wire 47to panel-board post 41; then by wire 73 to post 63 of the. motor, whichleads the armature of the motor.

After passing through the motor-armature the current will pass throughmotor post 64, then by wire 7 4 to panel-post 42, and wire 48 tocontact-post 39 on the panel-board, then through contact finger 35 andwire 37 to contact-plate 28 to ratchet-wheel 20, which latter isgrounded by wire 49, panel post 43 and wire 77.

The circuit has thus been completed, with power on, through both relays29 and 15 and armature 32 and pawl 18 is raised, as shown ain Fig. 4,and the switch-tongue 69 will have been thrown to permit the car to makea curve onto track 78, all during the time the trolley wheel is inengagement with the trolley-pan contacts 59 and 61.

Immediately upon the trolley leaving the pan-contacts 59 and 61, thecircuit just described will be interrupted and upon interruption of thiscircuit, both relays 29 and 15 will become deenergized and armature 32will swing by gravity over to the right and engagepost 39 while contact34 will at the same time engage post 38, thereby setting the contactsfor a change in the motor circuits so as to reverse the direction of themotor in case the next car approaching the switch desires to throw theswitch-bar again.

Also, as the trolley leaves the pan-contacts 59 and 61 and relay 15,becomes deenergized, the weighted stem 16 will drop and carry pawl 18with it. The pawl, when making this downward movement will engage theratchet wheel 20 and give the latter a partial rotation. I

This partial rotation of the ratchet-wheel 20 moves the contact plate 21of the wheel 1 from beneath spring contact 28 and presents an insulatedsurface 22 beneath that plate so a circuit cannot be completed throughthat plate as long as it remains in the insulation of the ratchet-wheel.

This movement of the ratchet-wheel however causes a contact face 21 ofthe wheel to be moved under the spring contact 27 and this will form apart of the changed circuit-connections to the motor, in case themotorman of the next car desires to throw the switch-tongue, which hewould do by approaching the switch with power off.

. The contact plate 28 therefore controls the operation of the motor inone direction with power on as the car approaches the switch to move theswitch tongue in one direction, whereas the spring-plate 27 controls theoperation of the motor in a reverse direction with power oil on the car,if it is desired to return the switch to normal or in this instance, forstraightaway traflic.

If on the other hand the switch tongue 69 has been moved over as in Fig.4 and the next car. is also to take the curve onto track .78, so thatthe switch tongue 69 need not be again operated, the motorman will againapproach that switch with power on, but as the spring contact-plate 28,will then be on an insulated part 22 of the ratchet-wheel, the circuitto the motor cannot be closed and no operation of the motor will takeplace. Consequently the switch-tongue 69 will remain in its thrownposition and direct the car. around the curve 78.

Having described my invention, I claim,

1. The combination with a railway switchoperating mechanism, of areversible electric motor for actuating the same,the direction ofmovement of the railway switch being determined by the direction ofmotion oi the motor, a trolley-wire providing a source of currentsupply, a plurality of contacts adj acent to the trolley wire forengagement by the current collector on a car, a panel structure havingtwo contacts each with a separate connection tothe reversible-motor, amovable switch member operating between said two motor contacts toengage either of them. at a time, two stationary ground contacts also onthe panel, means carried by said movable switch. member to connect oneof the said stationary ground contacts vwith one of the motor contactswhen the movable switch: member is in engagement with the other motorcontact and means controlled through the current collector on the carfor controlling the movable switclrmember' to determine which'oi theground and motor contacts shall. be connected for a desired positioningof the railway switch.

2;. The combination with a railway switchoperating mechanism, of areversible electric motor for actuating the same,the direction ofmovement of the railway switch being determined by the direction ofmotion of the motor, a trolley-wire providing a source of on rent supplyi plurality of contacts adjacent to the trolley wire for engagement bythe current collector on a car, a panel structure having two contactseach with a separate connection to the reversible motor, a switchmovable between said two motor contacts, two contacts insulated from theswitch but movable with the same and arranged so that one of them willengage one of the motor contacts while the switch: itself engages theother oi said motor contacts, means for providinga ground connection forthat one of said two insulated contacts which is in engagement with oneof the motor contacts, and means controlled through the currentcollector on the car for controlling the'movable switch to determinewhich of the ground and motor contacts shall be connected for a desiredpositioning of the railway switch.

3. The combination with a railway switchoperating mechanism, of areversible electric motor for actuating'the same,-the direction ofmovement of the railway switch being determined by the direction ofmotion of the motor, a trolley-wire providing a source of currentsupply, a plurality of contacts adjacent to the trolley wire forengagement by the current collector on a car, a panel having twostationary contacts each with a separate connection to the reversiblemotor, a movable rounding device carried on the panel, a movable switchdevice having one contacting means to engage eitherof the two-stationarymotor contacts said movable switch device carrying two otherelectrically separated contacts which will engage the movable groundingdevice one at a-time and magnetic means on the paneland controlledthrough the current collector on the car for controlling the. movablegrounding device and the movable switch device to determine which of theground and motor contacts shall be connected for a desired positioningofthe railway-switch. I v

49.. A panel structure for a railway-switch operating mechanism, a pairof stationary contacts, a ratchet wheel forming a ground and havingalternatecontact and insulating surfaces, an armature-switch movablebetween said pair of stationary contacts and enga 'ing but one of thosecontacts at a time, ahead carried by said armature-switch said headbeing provided with two electricallyseparated contact fingers one ofwhich latter may engage one of the said pair of contacts and the othermay be engaged with the other of said pair of contacts,only one of saidpair of contact fingers being engageable with the contacts at a time,means for connecting one of said fingers with a contact surface of theratchet wheel while the other finger engages an. insulation surface ofsaid wheel, magnetic means for actuating the armature switch to move thelatter in one direction and means arranged to move the ratchetwheel whenthe armature-switch moves in the other direction.

In testimony'whereofl afiix my signature.

\VALTER S. EPPLEY.

